Back to Life (TV series)

Back to Life is a British dark comedy-drama co-written by Laura Solon and Daisy Haggard and starring Haggard and Adeel Akhtar that premiered on BBC One on 15 April 2019.[1] On 10 November 2019, the series premiered in the United States on Showtime.[2] The first series received critical acclaim with many reviews highly praising the performance and writing of Haggard. On 19 November 2019, Back to Life was renewed for a second series which later premiered on 31 August 2021 to similar positive reviews.[3]

Back to Life
GenreComedy-drama
Dark comedy
Written by
Laura Solon
Daisy Haggard
Directed byChristopher Sweeney
Starring
ComposerSolomon Grey
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes12
Production
Executive producers
  • Sarah Hammond
  • Harry Williams
  • Jack Williams
Producers
  • Debbie Pisani
CinematographyBen Wheeler
EditorGavin Buckley
Running time23–25 minutes
Production companyTwo Brothers Pictures
DistributorAll3Media
Release
Original network
Picture formatHDTV 1080i
Audio formatStereo
Original release15 April 2019 (2019-04-15) –
present
External links
Production website

Plot

Miri Matteson has just returned home to Hythe, Kent, after serving an 18-year prison sentence. As Miri attempts to rebuild her life, she forms a friendship with Billy, who cares for the elderly woman next door.

Cast
  • Daisy Haggard as Miri Matteson
  • Geraldine James as Caroline Matteson, Miri's mother
  • Richard Durden as Oscar Matteson, Miri's father
  • Adeel Akhtar as Billy, Miri's budding love interest
  • Jo Martin as Janice, Miri's parole officer
  • Jamie Michie as Dom, Miri's now married pre-prison boyfriend and Caroline's secret affair
  • Christine Bottomley as Mandy, Miri's now married pre-prison best friend
  • Juliet Cowan as Tina, local policewoman who was Miri’s childhood enemy
  • Imogen Gurney as Lara, Miri's former best friend
  • Liam Williams as Nathan, Miri's boss at the fish and chip shop (series 1)
  • Souad Adel Faress as Anna, Billy's wife (series 1)
  • Frank Feys as Samuel, a private investigator (series 1)
  • Ade Edmondson as John Boback, Lara’s father (series 2)
  • Lizzy McInnerny as Norah Boback, Lara’s mother (series 2)

Episodes
SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1615 April 2019 (2019-04-15)15 April 2019 (2019-04-15)
2631 August 2021 (2021-08-31)31 August 2021 (2021-08-31)

Series 1
No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"Episode 1"Christopher Sweeney[4]Daisy Haggard and Laura Solon15 April 2019 (2019-04-15)
22"Episode 2"Christopher SweeneyDaisy Haggard and Laura Solon15 April 2019 (2019-04-15)
33"Episode 3"Christopher SweeneyDaisy Haggard and Laura Solon15 April 2019 (2019-04-15)
44"Episode 4"Christopher SweeneyDaisy Haggard and Laura Solon15 April 2019 (2019-04-15)
55"Episode 5"Christopher SweeneyDaisy Haggard and Laura Solon15 April 2019 (2019-04-15)
66"Episode 6"Christopher SweeneyDaisy Haggard and Laura Solon15 April 2019 (2019-04-15)

Series 2
No.
overall		No. in
series		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
71"Episode 1"Ella JonesDaisy Haggard and Laura Solon31 August 2021 (2021-08-31)[5]
82"Episode 2"Ella JonesDaisy Haggard and Laura Solon31 August 2021 (2021-08-31)[5]
93"Episode 3"Ella JonesDaisy Haggard and Laura Solon31 August 2021 (2021-08-31)[5]
104"Episode 4"Ella JonesDaisy Haggard and Laura Solon31 August 2021 (2021-08-31)[5]
115"Episode 5"Ella JonesDaisy Haggard and Laura Solon31 August 2021 (2021-08-31)[5]
126"Episode 6"Ella JonesDaisy Haggard and Laura Solon31 August 2021 (2021-08-31)[5]

Production

Harry and Jack Williams are the executive producers of Back to Life with Sarah Hammond. They previously produced the BBC show Fleabag.[6] It was filmed in Kent, including Hythe and Dungeness and at The Britannia Inn pub in Dungeness.[7] Filming also took place at Lade car park in Lydd-on-Sea, where various scenes were filmed around the fish and chip van, as well as in Streatham Common, London. Production for Back to Life also visited Abbot's Cliff sound mirror in Dover, on the top of the White Cliffs.[8]

Release

Back to Life was launched as a boxset on BBC iPlayer on 15 April 2019, and was shown weekly on BBC One from 15 April 2019.

Reception

The show has received critical acclaim. The first series holds a 100% approval rating on critic website Rotten Tomatoes based on 25 reviews with Haggard’s performance especially receiving positive comments. The first series was also compared positively to critically acclaimed tragicomedy Fleabag with which it shares producers. On Metacritic the series has a score of 87 out of 100 based on 13 reviews indicating "universal acclaim."

Home media
Title Release date BBFC rating Distributor
Region 2 DVD (UK) Region B Blu-ray (UK)
Season 1 1 July 2019[9] 1 July 2019[10] 18 Spirit Entertainment
Season 2 25 October 2021[11] TBA 15 Dazzler Media

References
  1. "Back To Life: Episodes' Daisy Haggard on playing a 'relentless optimist'". 12 April 2019. Retrieved 21 May 2019 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  2. "Showtime(R) Programming Advisory". The Futon Critic. 19 September 2019.
  3. "Showtime(R) Orders Second Season of "Back to Life"". The Futon Critic. 19 November 2019.
  4. "Back to Life (TV Series 2019–) Full Cast & Crew". imdb.com. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  5. Perkins, Steven (25 August 2021). "'Back To Life' Season 2 — release date, plot, cast, trailer and everything you need to know". What To Watch. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  6. "When is Back to Life on BBC1 and BBC3? Who's in the cast and what's it about?". Radio Times. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  7. "Back to Life – Series 1 (2019)". Kent Film Office. Kent Film Office. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  8. Kent Film Office. "Kent Film Office Back to Life Article".
  9. "Back to Life [BBC]". amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  10. "Back to Life [BBC] [2019]". amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  11. "Back to Life - Series 2". amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
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